The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-04-28
wo rnronlEs oF uENRY eEoRen.

Two extracts in marked contrast to
each other are taken from Henry Georges
paper, The Standard" In the first he
uses Assemblyman Crosby's objection to a
labor holiday as peg upon which to hang
his land theory, and then declares uh'll
labor owns lands the laborer can never be
free. He says:
There was more than he intended IN
Assemblyman Crosby's objection TO the Ia
Dor holiday bill that labor ought to nave no
holiday until il is free. With the blgOtry
and ipnorauce that characterize his class,
he intended TO sneer at labor organlZa-
tions. which, in imitation of stock ex-
changes. medical socities, lawyers trade
nnions. and so on, undertake to regulate
the supply and price of laber by associa-
ton: but his words apply with greater
force a thousand fold to the power over
labor of his own class. BY the approprla-
ton of land values to their own use por-
ton of the community holds the rest IN
bondage. since man without land Is as
HELPLESS as a fish in air. So long as that
condition continues laber cannot be Tree,
and, if the Crosbys are to have their way,
never will be.
Mans inalienable rights are to life,
liberty and property. Security and liberty
in our country are thoroughly consistent
with lack of real estate. Pauperism and
the restraints of debt are not so much
Affections thrust upon man, az they are
the results of mans failure to work or his
reckless expenditure. A man tied down
TO exc out scanty existence from little
strip of land is not as independent, not as
"free" "a the man who earns a comfort
able living in stated daily
hours of toll, whose result
depends on no contingencies of seasons
We contend that labor in this country is
"free," is granted greater rights, is vouch-
safed more privileges than in any nation
of the world. The new half holiday bill in
New York is only another instance of the
kindly leaning of the country towards the
laboring classes.
The second extract is full of logical
truths:
Readers of recent articles in the Stand
ard relative to business men Will see that
the labor question is of interest to them as
well as to the class denominated working
men. The labor question is question OF
wages and interest against rent, of work
against monopoly. The income of the
average business man is in part wages and
in part interest. In the matter of wages
he is interested equally with the man he
hires; in the matter of interest he is still
further interested, for interest falls as
wages do. AS with the man he hires, rent
is his enemy, not only to the extent OF the
rent he pays, but to the extent that in
creasing rent diminishes opportunities
for business and restricts the purchasing
power of his customers. Every business
man will recognize this truth, that the
business man who has not some
special advantage over business men In
general is in bad way. He is all the time
under the harrow, and liable Mt any time
to descend from employer to employe, as
so many have before him. What does he
propose to do about It'll
High rents favor only one class, the
property owner, at the expense of all
other classes; the merchant, professional
man, general employer and employe. The
property holder is always the least pro
gressive man in the community. Dealing
in fixed and stable values, he is accus-
toned to take no chances, and is to the
least extent affected by good or bad sea-
sons, business failures or general prosper
ity. II is not meant that real estate is
not liable to increase on depreciation in
yalue-but that it is not naturally subject
TO those fluctuations in value incident to
every other business. In new settlements,
or when, through false speculative opera
tions, demand is created for land,
real estate can be said to be un-
steady; but, under usual circumstances,
the property owner can estimate his pos
sessions and his income with greater ex-
actness than can the manufacturer or gen
eral business man. For this reason, where
there is less risk, the interest should be
the least, especially when every other
business enterprise pays the penalty of
the property holders righteousness Be-
cause then the employe must have better
wages; the employer must place a higher
price upon his goods. High ronts put an
abnormal strain upon a town or city, and
they should be kept down as low as pos
sible. To this extent Henry George and
his followers are thoroughly correct in
their demands.
SOMEBODY HURT.